


Ostinato

by ladyamesindy



Series: The Music Lives On [3]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:42:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27802480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyamesindy/pseuds/ladyamesindy
Summary: Ostinato: Similar to a motif, an ostinato is a rhythmic pattern that repeats throughout a piece of music.Specifically, a collection of writing prompts and drabbles for Lachlan Shepard; Colonist/War Hero/Soldier/Cellist
Relationships: Kaidan Alenko/Male Shepard
Series: The Music Lives On [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034172
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	1. Snowball Fight

**Author's Note:**

> Writing Prompt: Snowball Fight
> 
> mShenko
> 
> Lachlan Shepard, Kaidan Alenko 
> 
> Takes place post-Reaper War in Scotland.

The moment they set foot on the island, Lachlan senses the difference. Like the quick drop in temperature when a cold front passes through, it’s instantaneous and noticeable. Eyes closing, he inhales slowly, deeply, leaning heavily against his cane and for just a moment. A gentle breeze toys with the ginger locks, teasing them into a swooshing cascade that cover his right eye. And in the distance, echoing throughout the valley, he swears he can hear ‘Hielan’ Laddie’ playing on the pipes as the troops march off into battle …

A strong yet gentle hand at his shoulder pulls Shepard back to the present with a start. Breath hitching in the cold winter air, he blinks over at his companion as the connection breaks. “What?”

He’s met by a warm smile and an easy shake of the head as Kaidan replies, “Just … checking. You seemed like you were a million miles away.”

Lachlan relaxes and takes comfort from the concern in those whiskey-colored eyes. _How long has it been?_ The mental math brings a smile to his whiskered jaw. _Almost eleven years? Aye, that’s a time, but we’ve known one another far longer than that._ With a smile, he slides his hand behind Kaidan’s head and pull him in for a quick but thorough kiss. When he releases him, the smile is still present. “Aye, I was,” he replies honestly, “but not where you think.” Using his free hand, he gestures to the scenic view around them. “Have you ever seen a place so beautiful? One that bleeds history like this?” 

The castle of Eilean Donan stands open before them, awaiting their arrival. Tucked away in the highlands of Scotland, it is the ancestral home to Shepard’s mother’s family, a place he’s wanted to visit since his youth, having grown up on stories and traditions that the MacRaes passed down through generations. The reapers never made it this far north; there was no need, and so it survives unblemished for the most part _._

Another cold gust of wind blows across the loch, and Lachlan snuggles deeper into his heavy jacket. With the war over now and his wounds mostly healed, he and Kaidan have come to visit Fiona MacRae Shepard’s homeland. A journey years in the making, it has more impact now, after all they endured to get here. 

“Can’t say that I have,” Kaidan says as he looks around the grounds. 

They have directions on where to go; their visit is a private one, specific to the Savior of the Galaxy himself and his companion. The reapers may not have reached here, but there is no less pride for the man who saved them all from extinction because of it. 

Carefully, Lachlan and Kaidan head toward the main gate. The grounds are covered in snow – a storm blew through the night before, blanketing the castle and surrounding area beneath a layer of frosty fluff that brings the place alive – but the groundskeeping staff have cleared a safe path for them. Still, they take it slow and easy; not their usual SOP, but a new ‘normal’ since the end of the war.

Once inside the keep, they are met by a guide who gives them a tour of the interior and explains the history of the family and the place as well as answers whatever questions they have. Lachlan is amazed to discover that many of the tales his mother used to tell came directly from MacRae area. For the first time since he was sixteen, he finds strength in his connection to her. 

The tour lasts for a couple of hours, at which point Lachlan and Kaidan are released to roam the grounds as they please. Somehow, and despite Lachlan’s lingering injuries, they find their way up to the castle battlements and spend some time walking. They exist together in silence, taking in the scenery, listening to the world as it lives around them. About halfway through, they come to a stop for Lachlan to rest. Leaning heavily against the wall, he stares out over the lochs at the highlands surrounding them. What was it Anderson said up on the Citadel at the end? _Seems like years since I just sat down…_ Lachlan breathes in fully, deeply. _I understand, my friend. I understand._

When he opens his eyes again, he asks in a voice filled with wonder and awe, “Can you imagine?”

Kaidan stands beside him, similar stance with his arms braced against the brick. “Imagine what?”

Turning, a hint of mischievousness in his blue eyes, Lachlan grins over at him. “Imagine playing here? Outdoors? Listening to the notes echo up and down the valley?” He lifts an arm and circles it around them to indicate the general geographic area.

Kaidan chuckles softly. “I know you _and_ your imagination, so I should probably say, ‘yes,’ to that.” Facing Lachlan, he eyes him cautiously. “Do you want to start playing again? Your cello, I mean.”

Lachlan sighs as he straightens, balancing himself with one hand on the wall and the other on his cane. His gaze drops to his left hip and leg, the source of most of his troubles these days. “I would like to, yes,” he replies. “Am I capable of it?” He shrugs. “That’s another story just now.” 

“Give it time; it’ll heal.” 

The words are soft, gentle, reassuring, but Lachlan suspects Kaidan knows more about the severity of the injuries than he lets on. “Haven’t I given it enough time?” His fist closes around the top of the cane, frustration eating away at him. “Between surgery and physical therapy, haven’t I covered all there is to do?” Kaidan has the patience of a saint; practically a requirement to be married to Lachlan, but after months cooped up in hospital, that is put to the test more frequently. 

“Everyone heals differently, and you know that.”

Another point that leaves Lachlan bent out of shape. Huffing softly, he counters, “What about the synthetics? Why don’t they speed things up like they used to?”

“They are.” Kaidan sighs and runs a hand though his hair before facing Lachlan again. “You have no idea just how close you came to losing your life, do you?”

Lachlan opens his mouth to respond, but it’s the slight warble in Kaidan’s voice, that hint of a crack, that keeps him silent and has him turning back to the wall to stare out over the lochs once more. “In all honesty,” he says after a minute or two, “I didn’t expect to live.” A shudder shakes his too-thin frame. 

Kaidan moves beside him in an instant, arm sliding around him, hugging his waist and pulling him close. They’ve had this conversation only once, back in the early days of his recovery when it was still an open, raw wound like so many others. These days, it still lingers where the rest have mostly healed. “Have I mentioned today just how thankful I am you did?”

Their eyes meet and Lachlan stares at him before leaning into the embrace and huffing softly. “Didn’t say I didn’t want to.”

Kaidan lifts a hand to Lachlan’s cheek. “No, listen. You could have died at any time along the way.”

“I seem to recall I did.”

The biotic’s lips press into a momentary tight line before he continues, ignoring the comment and pushing forward. “But you _didn’t_ ,” he stresses. “You kept fighting, you kept going, and we defeated the reapers.”

Lachlan’s hand rises to cover Kaidan’s, squeezing gently. “You don’t approve of my dark humor, do you?”

“It isn’t a matter of approval,” Kaidan argues. “It’s a matter of truth. You’re the one who got us here, and you managed to survive that. Way I see it, that’s a good thing.”

Kaidan’s left eye twitches, a small, subtle movement that settles into a tightness all too familiar, and one Lachlan knows well. “Migraine?” he asks quietly, changing the topic without warning. When Kaidan looks confused, Lachlan runs his thumb gently over the tightness. 

“I’m fine.” 

Lachlan doesn’t argue; it never gets him anywhere if he pushes it anyway. Instead, and typical of him, his mood jumps from one extreme to the next to the next, seemingly of its own free will. “Yeah?” He waggles an eyebrow at his husband as his own lips curl into a smirk. “How fine is that?” He leans on his cane and takes a step backwards, continuing, “I mean, don’t get me wrong, you are quite _fine_ in my book. Number one, as a matter of fact. But …?”

Rolling his eyes Kaidan turns away, but not before Lachlan notices the twitch at the corner of his lips. _Good. Okay, I can work with this. Let’s get things back on track …_ “Hey,” he calls out in mock indignation, hobbling after him carefully, “where do you think you’re going?”

Kaidan doesn’t turn around and instead uses one hand to point East. “Sun’s setting. Dinner will be soon. Can’t miss that.”

“Pfft. There you go, thinking with your stomach again!” 

Kaidan snorts. “Occupational hazard.”

The stairs down are a bit of a trick, but Lachlan navigates them fairly well, all things considered. As they exit out onto the grounds, he hears the tell-tale sounds of a bagpipe starting up – not nearby, but close enough the notes travel across the water to fill the area. A grin forms as the notes find a familiar pattern. _Scotland the Brave._ “You going to slow down and wait for me?” he calls out, humming along with the familiar tune as he keeps moving.

“You going to quit belittling dinner?”

“Hah! That depends.” Outside of the castle, they head onto the bridge that will take them to the carpark. Kaidan is still some distance ahead, but Lachlan knows how to get his attention again in a more creative fashion; something he’s wanted to do since their first trip to Noveria together all those years ago. As he hobbles along, his free hand scoops some of the snow lying atop the walls of the stone bridge, shaping it carefully. “Hey, Kaid?”

Kaidan stops, nearly on the other side, and waits. A few heartbeats pass, but there are times when Lachlan can be just as patient as the other man, and this is one of them. Finally Kaidan turns around to face him … at which point, Lachlan launches the snowball. It lands squarely in the center of the biotic’s chest. As Lachlan grins, Kaidan’s eyes widen … darken …

Lachlan ducks the snowy missile Kaidan launches at him in retaliation, just barely missing it. In the same move, he makes another for himself. Several minutes pass of back and forth, expertly aimed missiles, occasional hits and misses; of both men laughing and simply enjoying the fact they are still alive despite years filled with doubts, concerns and uncertainties. Finally, they call an end to the battle and wind up in each other’s arms – Lachlan dodging awkwardly on his bad hip before losing his balance, and Kaidan diving over to catch him – both soaked through, red-faced, but in a far improved mood than before. 

Leaning in, Lachlan trails a few kisses along Kaidan’s jaw while murmuring, “So, dinner?”

“Mmmm.” Kaidan shivers when Lachlan reaches a sensitive spot just beneath his collar. “Dinner first, yes.”

Lachlan pulls back, flashing his trademark grin. “Can’t wait to see what you have planned for dessert…” 


	2. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> December writing challenge: Confessions
> 
> mShenko
> 
> Lachlan Shepard, Kaidan Alenko
> 
> also appearances by Iain Shepard and Major Coats.

“I have a confession to make.”

The rug in front of the fireplace has become their evening ritual. Every night for the three months they have been in Scotland, Lachlan lies with his head pillowed on his good arm, staring into the burning blaze in the fireplace while Kaidan works the kinks out of the aching and still healing muscles and scar tissue of his hips and shoulders. He knows full well he could be suffering from worse things, has in the past at times, but like most nights, he is nearly asleep, the last bit of consciousness hanging by a thread. Still, Kaidan’s words are enough to startle him back to full awareness. 

Blinking sleep from his eyes, Lachlan pushes himself up enough to glance back over his shoulder. Around a yawn and in a raspy voice, he asks, “What?”

Whiskey-amber eyes meet blue with a hint of mischief. A flutter of unease works through him, and in that moment, Lachlan knows he’s been had. “You bloody _eejit!_ ” he hisses, then flops to the floor once more, muttering beneath his breath.

“What?” Kaidan leans forward and presses a kiss to the tattoo between his shoulder blades, murmuring, “I do, you know.”

Lachlan huffs. “Like hell! That glint in your eyes says otherwise.”

“You don’t believe me?”

Another yawn sneaks in, encouraged as Kaidan’s hands still work around his bad hip. “I believe,” Lachlan says after the yawn passes, “you’re attempting to … what’s the expression? _Pull my leg_?”

Kaidan snorts softly and sits back. “Now there’s an idea.”

Lachlan rolls his eyes, cautiously using his prosthetic hand to scratch the side of his nose. It’s … strange to get used to and an even bigger challenge to get used to when playing his cello; but given the widespread destruction as a result of the war, even he, the Savior of the Galaxy, has to wait his turn for a cloned limb to be grown as a replacement. This, at least, is something to help him get by. Thankfully, the fingers have some semblance of individual mobility, but he learned early on not to take things too quickly lest he poke his eye out in the process. 

His thoughts get interrupted when Kaidan’s hand wraps around his left ankle and tugs. _Hard_. “What the …?” He rolls onto his hip, sitting up fully this time as he bats the prosthetic arm at the man. “What is _with_ you, tonight?”

“I told you; I have a confession to make.” Kaidan sits beside him again as he uses a towel to clean off his hands. His tone becomes more somber as he adds, “Kind of an important one, too.”

A flutter in Lachlan’s chest reminds him of a swarm of butterflies and his breath hitches. Gulping, he stares at Kaidan. “You … this isn’t going to be like that time on Arcturus, is it?” he asks, the hint of worry and hesitation clear in his tone.

Kaidan frowns. “Which time?”

“When you made me think you wanted nothing more to do with me and then you turned around and proposed instead.”

Kaidan sighs heavily and leans forward until their foreheads touch lightly. “No, this isn’t anything like that.” Before pulling back, he ghosts a quick, reassuring kiss across Lachlan’s lips. “I promise. Now lie down so I can finish, hmm?”

The kiss doesn’t last long enough as far as Lachlan is concerned, but he lies back on the floor without protest. As Kaidan’s hands move to his lower back, gently massaging up his spine, he asks, “Well, what is it?” 

“What is what?”

Lachlan groans. “You really enjoy this, don’t you?” 

Kaidan laughs at the accusation, taking the opportunity to work a particularly tight section of Lachlan’s shoulder area with a bit more enthusiasm than is strictly necessary. “You’ll have to be more specific.”

“What?” He starts to sit up again, but gets pushed right back down before he can even prop his elbows beneath him and gain leverage. 

“I’m never going to finish this if you don’t hold still.”

Lachlan mutters some more beneath his breath, settles back down, and finishes with, “Don’t think for one moment I don’t know that you’re doing this on purpose!”

“Doing what?”

“That!”

Kaidan’s lips twitch. “What exactly do you mean by ‘that?’” 

Instead of sitting up this time, Lachlan rolls onto his right shoulder and uses his good left arm to grab the collar of his husband’s shirt and tug him down close. “Acting all cagey like.” Since he has him close and Kaidan isn’t fighting to break away, Lachlan kisses him thoroughly before he releases him. There are times when Kaidan likes to tease him; Lachlan knows this well, and in all honestly enjoys it as much as the other man does. But tonight, it’s bordering on the nonsensical, and it’s driving him insane. 

“Okay,” he murmurs, rolling over so he can slide both arms around Kaidan’s shoulders, “so, this confession?”

“Mmmm.” The laughter is still there, but gets lost between them for several minutes. “Confession?” he mumbles as he breaks the kiss. “What confession?”

Sighing, Lachlan’s head falls back to the rug with a soft thump. “You, sir, are a menace.”

Kaidan swoops back in for another kiss; Lachlan ducks to the side to avoid it, but Kaidan ends up connecting with his cheek instead before shifting to lie on the floor beside him. He loops an arm around Lachlan’s waist, laughing softly as he snuggles against his back, bringing his chin up on his shoulder. “So, do you remember how last year for our anniversary, I told you the gift I had for you would have to wait?”

Lachlan freezes a moment in panic, calming once he realizes they aren’t anywhere near their anniversary on the calendar. As it then bleeds out, leaving him just a bit weak in the knees, he replies, “You said you left it at the apartment?” Which, realistically means it was destroyed when Arcturus Station was destroyed at the beginning of the war. 

“Mmm,” Kaidan agrees. “Well, I think I’ve found a replacement gift for you.”

Lachlan’s chest tightens; every time he turns around, especially of late, he finds yet another reason to love this man even more than he does after all these years. Last year was their tenth anniversary, unless you didn’t count the two years he was dead, and Kaidan had been disappointed how things had played out. Lachlan, of course, reassured him at the time, just as he does now. “I have you, I don’t need anything else.” 

“Not true, and you know it,” Kaidan insists. He pushes to his feet, grabs the towel and takes a moment to wipe off remnants of the lotion he’d used on Lachlan’s shoulders before handing his partner his shirt. 

Lachlan manages to tug the t-shirt on with minimal effort now – it’s taken time to learn how to do that, but with Kaidan’s help and practice over the past ten months, it comes easier each time. He accepts the hand Kaidan offers to help him to his feet. “Kaid, what’s going on?”

“You’ll see in a minute – .” A soft beep at Kaidan’s wrist cuts him off. “Or, right now, I guess.” The twinkle returns to his eyes as he grins and squeezes Lachlan’s hand. “Trust me?”

Lachlan squeezes back, even though he is thoroughly confused. “Haven’t I always?”

“Stay here.” Kaidan heads over to the door to their rented house and opens it. The chill of the winter air gusts inside almost immediately, and Lachlan cannot stop a soft giggle when the blast is accompanied by a burst of snowflakes that settle over Kaidan’s dark hair. “Going a bit grey there, don’t you think, Alenko?”

Kaidan chuckles. “No thanks to you!” 

It takes a few minutes for the chill to start actively fighting against the warmth in the room, but even Lachlan notices the temperature dropping after a bit. While Kaidan continues to wait, his attention focused beyond the door, Lachlan nabs his N7 hoodie and tugs it on, complaining, “Just remember, you’re the only Canadian of the group, all right?”

“What’s the matter, Shepard? Can’t stand the cold?”

“Not without my armor, no.”

The door creaks a little as Kaidan pushes it open further just as Lachlan turns back toward him. Lachlan opens his mouth to add onto that comment but finds he has no voice nor breath as a familiar towheaded face steps inside the house. Unable to move, eyes widening with each second that passes, Lachlan’s heart lurches inside his chest. “Iain?” he croaks.

The younger Shepard is thinner than he recalls, perhaps a bit frailer than the last time they saw one another well over a year before, but Iain still manages to lunge toward his brother. Lachlan grasps him tightly, holding him in a fierce hug. Only when he releases him some moments later, wiping a few tears from his eyes, does he notice the other new arrival. “Coats? You … you found him?”

The dark haired man nods. “Took a while,” he admits with a rueful smile, “searched damn near every hospital in England for him, but … yeah.” Coats’ gaze drifts back and forth between the two brothers. “You Shepards are a stubborn lot, I’ll give you that much.”

Iain grins back at the man. “Just gives you a long term goal, Paddington.” He turns back to his brother, eyeing him a bit more closely now. Cautiously, he reaches out and touches the prosthetic hand. “Can you … can you play, Lach?”

Using his good arm, Lachlan pulls Iain back in for another hug. “Aye. It’s a bit complicated at the moment, but it works for now, don’t you worry.” This time when he releases the younger man, Kaidan and Coats have joined them. “So,” he says to his husband, “ _this_ is your confession, is it?”

Kaidan grins. “The confession was that I found a replacement present,” he corrects. “Think it’s worth it?”

Lachlan smiles. “Most definitely worth it.”


	3. Need/In the water/in moonlight/in rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kissing prompt: Need, In the water/in moonlight/in rain
> 
> mShenko
> 
> Setting: Along Loch Alse in Scotland, near Eilean Dornan Castle

“Are you serious?”

Lachlan turns to stare at Kaidan in bewilderment. “What?”

Tossing his hands in the air, Kaidan turns back toward their vehicle. “This is insane.”

“Ah, c’mon, _Sostenuto_ , when’s the last time you had a bit of fun? Hmm?” He waits a heartbeat, then a second. Kaidan turns back around on the third – predictable as always – and Lachlan winks, smug smirk already in place on his lips. 

Huffing in dismay, Kaidan heads up the hill. 

“K, c’mon! It’s _summer_!”

“It’s still freezing,” he shouts back over his shoulder.

A heavy, exaggerated sigh echoes around them. “So, you’re just worried you’ll freeze that beautiful arse off – because you know it is – and not that anyone’ll see? Is that it?” Lachlan carefully manages a few steps across the rocky beach terrain after the man. He has to take it slow or risk falling flat on his face – or his arse, depending on momentum.

Without looking back, Kaidan points a hand toward the partly moonlit sky above. Lachlan can just make it out in the darkness and at this distance. “It’s going to rain.”

“Pffft.” There is no way he can keep up the same pace as Kaidan on this beach, but he does try. He _is_ a Shepard, after all. “It isn’t going to rain, ya _numpty_!” In an effort to be as emphatic as possible, he loses his balance and starts slipping and sliding back down to the edge of the water below. “Whoa!”

In less time than it takes to breathe, Kaidan spins around, assesses the situation and throws out a wave of dark energy that slithers around Lachlan, catches and holds him steady until Kaidan arrives at his side just seconds later. He grabs hold, wrist to elbow, pulling Lachlan back to his feet. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Lachlan is reminded of another body of water, another almost falling in, and how that situation ended up. He bets Kaidan remembers, too, even all these years later, so he keeps his hold, tugs the man closer, wraps his free arm around his waist for balance, before leaning in until their lips touch. 

The moment they connect, Kaidan slides both hands both around Lachlan’s hips, securing them in his back pockets. There is a hint of possessiveness in the act which Lachlan does not mind one bit, though he finds it slightly amusing after all their years together. 

The moment does not last forever, of course, but when they pull apart, Lachlan chuckles as he recovers his breath. “D’you remember our first kiss?” he asks, a bit breathless.

Kaidan huffs softly. “Yeah. Hard to forget that.”

“At least this time we don’t have to wait another year.” Lachlan brushes across his lips once more. 

“Are you sure about that?”

Lachlan snorts softly in amusement. “You would, wouldn’t you? Just to prove a point.”

Kaidan shrugs but does not release his hold. “If it means you learning to be more careful, maybe.” 

“You’re telling me, the Savior of the Galaxy, I need to be more careful?”

Kaidan backs up a step, but eye contact is not broken. It is then Lachlan sees the fear that still lingers, the pain Kaidan refuses to admit, behind the whiskey-colored gaze. Lachlan sighs and turns to stare out over Loch Alsh, at the reflection of the moon, stars, and clouds on the surface of the still water. It is useless to ask Kaidan to let it go – Lachlan has been trying for years to do just that and the other man has yet to listen. To _believe_. Still, he cannot blame only him for his reaction, not after Alchera. Belaboring the point does not help either, but things are different now, if Kaidan would only just _look_. 

“I’m telling you I love you and I would sincerely love to actually spend time with you now that things have calmed down once more,” Kaidan replies after a moment. 

The shuffle of booted feet across the shore gives Lachlan a vague idea where he is – just to his right, slightly behind him. “But … you don’t expect that to last, do you?”

There is reluctance as Kaidan shakes his head. “No, I don’t.”

Anger, fast and furious, fills Lachlan. “All right, what aren’t you telling me?” he demands. “Why, after all we’ve been through, after all I’ve given –,” he lifts his right hand, the prosthetic arm to emphasize his point, “– what makes you think it’s about to fall apart again?”

“I don’t, Lach – not like you’re thinking,” Kaidan insists. “But, Javik had a point.”

 _Javik_. Irritation leaves his movement jerky, his good hand combing through reddish curls that have grown far too long. “Any word of what happened to him?”

“No. Garrus says he just up and disappeared after the battle. No one, not even Liara, has heard from him.”

After his last conversation with the prothean, Lachlan is not surprised. A bit disappointed, but not surprised. Jumping back to the previous conversation, he asks, “Why don’t you expect peace to last?” He looks over his shoulder, watches Kaidan run a hand through his hair, and realizes he really must be vexing the man if he is openly messing up his own hair. 

“Call it … instinct.”

Lachlan considers that. “Like … Collector attack on the _Normandy_ instinct? Or, we’re never going to get out of Elysium instinct?”

“More like don’t you dare leave me behind in London, instinct,” Kaidan counters.

Lachlan winces. Ouch. That one is still a bit of a sore point of contention between them. “Kaidan –.”

“I’m serious.”

A flippant response is on the tip of Lachlan’s tongue, but he catches himself before it takes voice. “I know you are.” And he does. 

A breeze picks up around them, the hint of rain tickling his nose. Still, he is drawn by the loch, by a natural impulse, by life. He runs his good hand over his face, scrubbing and scruffling the facial hair he’s been far too lazy to shave off of late. “Kaidan?”

“Hmm?”

“Please?”

There is an extra half-second before his husband responds and the wariness explains why. Clearly, he is expecting something. “Please what?”

Lachlan turns, reaching for his hand. He is a bit surprised when Kaidan gives it freely, but sees it as a gift. Lips turning up into a grin, he secures his hold and pulls him closer … then backs into the loch.

“Lachlan, no!”

The grin takes on a bit of the wildness from his youth, before places like Elysium. Alchera. London. “Yes!” 

It quickly becomes a grappling match, and Lachlan cannot keep from laughing at the idiocy of it. At first, Kaidan’s demeanor is stern, but eventually, he too gives into laughter which goes on for some minutes until both men knee deep in water. But, Kaidan’s foot slips on something beneath the surface and he unexpectedly ends up on his back.

“Kaidan!”

Sputtering, the biotic is quick to recover, but not quick enough, and when he stands up, he is dripping water from his hair, his shirt, his jeans. 

Though concerned, Lachlan is unable to hide an appreciative, though somber grin. “We having a wet t-shirt contest I wasn’t aware of?” He steps forward – like Daniel walking into the lion’s den – and runs his hand over the soaked and clinging material fitting snugly across Kaidan’s chest. “’Cause my bet’s on you to win.” 

“You did this on purpose!” There is no real heat behind the accusation, however.

The grin widens and reaches Lachlan’s eyes. “No, but I wish I had thought of it,” he admits. “It’s a good look for you.” He tilts his head to the side, surveying the damage, eyes still twinkling. “A _very_ good look for you, if I do say so myself.”

Kaidan pushes his hair back out of his face with both hands, squeezing as much water out as he can. Something about that, plus the way the t-shirt emphasizes the muscles of his chest and his upper arms, leaves Lachlan a bit breathless. It must reach his eyes, because the next he knows, Kaidan is reaching for him and pulling him into a heated, fiery kiss that Lachlan feels should be burning his boots and clothing off right about now. He slides his arms around Kaidan – the prosthetic at his shoulder, his good arm around his neck to pull him closer – as Kaidan’s tighten around his waist in return. 

Neither notice as the skies above open up and a curtain of rain envelopes them… 


	4. Interlocking pinkies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> writing prompt: interlocking pinkies
> 
> setting: ME2, Horizon

_Horizon_. Standing in the window of the prefab, his gaze taking in the sheer _emptiness_ of it all, Kaidan Alenko realizes then and there just how much he hates it. “I fucking hate this place,” he mutters, keeping his back to the room. “I hate this place; I hate all it stands for … I hate the fact it’s so fucking _vulnerable_ , no matter what is done to try to protect it! If it isn’t pirates or slavers, it’s Collectors!”

He doesn’t move with the shuffling of booted steps behind him, though they draw closer. The body slides up next to him, close but not quite touching. “It isn’t Mindoir, that’s for certain.”

Kaidan’s eyes close tightly at the familiar timbre. “I hate it almost as much, as I hate the fact we’ve lost over two years together,” he rasps.

Lachlan turns to lean his hips back against the wall. He stands casually, arms folded across his chest, deep concern in his blue eyes as Kaidan tilts his head to look up. The same ginger curls as before frame his face along with the slightly darker ginger scruff of a beard, both somewhat longer than Alliance regs allow. _But you aren’t Alliance now, are you? You’re with Cerberus. If you are really you … God, I want it to be you … I_ need _it to be you …_

“Fair enough,” Lachlan allows, a soft, empathetic curve on his lips. He huffs softly. “I guess I was the fortunate one.”

Sighing softly, he tries to follow the sudden shift in topic; that hasn’t changed in his absence. “How’s that?” 

The smile turns a bit impish, a sparkle shining in his eyes. “You only made me wait one.”

Straightening, Kaidan stares at him, long and hard. The curves of his face. The curl of his hair. The lightest blue of his eyes that match the skies at the orchard on a clear day. Kaidan’s breath catches. Everything about him, visually anyway, is the same. Well, almost. The old scars are gone – perhaps that’s for the better, though. The one just below his right eye was a constant reminder how close he came to losing him just after they’d gotten married – and there are hints of newer marks barely faded. Still …

“Lach …” His voice cracks painfully, but he cannot look away. The pain lancing through his chest right now reflects in Lachlan’s eyes and it’s … just too much. He lifts a hand to Lachlan’s cheek, tilts his head until their foreheads barely touch. _I want to believe!_ “How do I know …?”

Lachlan’s smile softens as he imitates his move, framing Kaidan’s cheek with his hand. Kaidan can’t stop himself from leaning into the touch. At the same time, Lachlan lifts his other hand to Kaidan’s that rests on his cheek, not covering it exactly, but moving so their pinkies hook around one another. 

It’s too much. Kaidan’s eyes slam shut, but not fast enough to stop the tidal wave of memories or the trickle of tears that leak from the corners of his eyes. Only one person ever knew – _knows_ – that move; one they’ve shared for the longest time. 

“ _Sostenuto_ ,” Lachlan murmurs softly, “how can you not?”

There is a half second of silence and complete stillness before the two men move as one, throwing their arms around the other and holding tight. Kaidan’s tighten like steel bands, holding fast and refusing to release now that the dam has burst. Lachlan’s hold is just as solid. For a good five minutes, they stand there, lost to time and memory, until finally they break apart. Kaidan traces a line with his fingertips from Lachlan’s left temple down to his jaw until he reaches his chin, one last search of his features. 

“ _Giocoso_ ,” he murmurs, his voice cracking again but there is also a hint of teasing in his tone as a thumb ghosts across dark circles beneath Lachlan’s eyes, “you haven’t been sleeping, have you?”

Lachlan chuckles, sniffs softly and lifts his hand to trace the soft silver wings just barely visible in Kaidan’s hairline. “Look at you – turning into an ‘old man’ while I as gone?”

His hand drops, but he reaches for Kaidan’s again, linking their pinkies together again. Kaidan inhales deeply before nodding. Somehow, some _way_ , Lachlan is back. The man he gave his heart to so long ago, the one who still lives on in his memories, is alive. “We … need to talk.” He glances around the space. They are alone, but he doesn’t expect that will last much longer. “Some place with more privacy.”

Lachlan nods. “Soon,” he promises. “I think you owe me a story.”

Kaidan frowns. “Me? I’m not the one who has risen from the dead!”

With their joined hands, Lachlan lifts them to settle on the logo on the chest piece of the armor Kaidan wears. “This isn’t Alliance blue, Kaidan,” he murmurs, “and that isn’t the Alliance mark.”

Kaidan nods. “Cerberus isn’t the Alliance either, you know.” He releases his hold on Lachlan’s hand a moment later as the clatter of armor gets louder near the doorway. “We will talk,” he says, dropping his voice so only the man in front of him can hear. “I promise.”

“Shepard, the shuttle is here,” a heavily armored krogan announces from the doorway.

“On my way.” Before turning to follow, Lachlan adds, “Let me know a time and place. I’ll be there.”

“I’ll message you when I have one.” 

With one last smile and a nod, Lachlan turns to leave, and for the first time in over two years, hope flutters in Kaidan’s chest …


End file.
